TKaufman50

HI,

I took my 2008 997.1 C4 with 40k for the miles, in for a oil change and the tech showed me metal shavings in the canister and the filter. Now he say's I need a new IMS? Everything I have read says the larger IMS is not something to worry about. Now I'm looking at having to split the case to replace the larger bearing. Could this be anything other than the IMS?

Thanks!

qikqbn

Sorry to hear about this.... Is this a Porsche tech/mechanic/dealer doing the oil change? Did you take a photo? Any strange noises or check engine lights? How many metal shavings and how big are they? Were all the shavings magnetic? This has been discussed on other threads, but a few tiny metal shavings here and there are usually normal.. If the shavings are filling up the sleeves of the filter then that is something to be concerned about. Hard to say without a photo.

Yes, the 2008 model year will have the larger most robust IMS bearing. It is very rare, but the larger bearing can go bad. Unfortunately no engine is guaranteed for life and no one is exempt from a possible failure no matter what engine they may have. Without an oil analysis it is hard to know for sure where those metal shavings are coming from. It may be something else besides the IMS bearing. If you can share any more detailed info it may help.

TKaufman50

Thanks, This is a long time Porsche repair shop , not at a dealer. No pic's, I wish I had thought of that at the time. I'd say about half a tea spoons worth of metal shavings in the bottom. My last oil change was about 600 miles ago and the oil was clean. This is a weekend car for me and it does sit a lot. No strange noise or lights. The car ran and still runs great.

qikqbn

hmmmm.... that sounds like a lot of shavings to me. Were they very thin and hair like, or chunky and thick?

TKaufman50

A little of both.

Carreralicious

How much do you trust that Indy? Were you there when they pulled the oil filter and opened it? If I didn’t see them pull the filter in front of me and show me at the time, the skeptic in me would make me bring it to a friend’s house (who wrenches) and pull the filter after driving it another few hundred miles to see if there were really any metal flakes in it.

I’ve had bad experiences with even authorized dealers (on my Audi) where they ask me to come in their garage area and showed me missing and loose bolts (insinuating that another shop might have f’d up my car), saying that I need new this and that, and then I tell them well, you guys need to fix that then cause I bought my car new here and have always only used you guys to service the car.

Steph1

Well, if it is from the ims, you need a rebuild... So I say the hell with it, drive it til it doesn't drive perfectly fine anymore and then adress the problem.

groovzilla

Where is photo of metal shavings?

TKaufman50

I trust him, we have been doing business with him for years. Thanks for the advice. That's what I'm going to do just drive it until I have to fix it. I did see some info about the Oil Inject Flange that you can install to keep fresh oil moving into the bearing. I love the car so It's worth it to me to fix. I was just shocked when they showed it to me.

4Driver4

IMHO, this is a horrible idea. What if it's a chain issue or something repairable without a full tear down. Why flog it until it grenades and potentially damages heads and case?

qikqbn

Well... rather than splitting the case right away and going for the rebuild I would do a few things as mentioned before hand just to make sure. Do another oil change in the near future. Inspect filter again for metal shavings. Make sure you see the entire process and take photos. Have the filter cut open and take photos too. You can also purchase a magnetic drain plug or wrap a couple magnets around outside of oil filter canister to see how much metal shavings collect . Send in the oil for analysis. Another option that is not as pricey as cracking the case open, but still pricey enough to be a bummer, is that you can also pay to have the transmission removed, Ims bearing exposed and grease seal removed to inspect the actual bearings. That's gonna be about $1000 bucks labor... Might as well have a new clutch ready if you have never had it done. If the bearing is in good shape then you know the metal came from somewhere else. If you see bearings missing or busted up, then you know you have to crack her open for sure and replace the bearing. Maybe there is a lot that can still be saved. What a bummer... sorry to hear about it.

BoomC2S

I would suggest another oil change and an oil analysis. This can tell you what's happening and give you an idea of how bad it is. LN Engineering works with a company that does this and has a quick turnaround. I have sent mine out to Blackstone since I didn't need a speedy turn. $28.00.

TKaufman50

Thanks, This gives me some direction on what can be done. I def don't want to trash the motor driving it more than I should. It's got fresh oil now so I will have it checked once I get a few miles on it.

TheBruce

Ick. Sorry to hear that man! Hard to offer advice without a photo. Here is what I think I would do in this situation: drive it 50 miles and pull the filter so you can inspect it properly. You don't need to change the oil, just pull the filter. You will loose some oil but can top it off. If the filter is full of debris, stop driving and start working on your rebuild strategy. If it has no debris, or a very small amount, go maybe 200 miles this time and pull the filter again. Rinse and repeat until you get a definitive answer.

I had 4-5 large metal slivers in my filter 30k miles ago. Had Jake Raby inspect them and turned out to be a non-issue. They were drillings from the manufacturing process that just hadnt been washed our properly. 30k miles and 5 oil changes later I haven't had a single spec of debris since.

TKaufman50

sThanks. I guess after getting some advice I'm not sure if I should put any miles on it. This is my first 911 so I'm not familiar with any warning signs that might start before the IMS goes bad. Is there any dash lights or engine warnings that would start before the IMS gives way? Or am I rolling the dice and hoping for the best?

Thanks,

Tony